1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brassieres and methods of making same. More particularly, the present invention provides circular knit brassieres having varying degrees of stretchability in a body portion or half of a brassiere that includes a breast cup and its respective side panel. The present invention further provides that the body portion has different degrees of stitch tightness and density.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern brassieres are designed in an attempt to accommodate the needs for comfort during wear, as well as support. Thus, these brassieres attempt to provide flexibility, freedom of movement, and breast support.
Circular knit brassieres have become popular since they appear to maximize comfort and flexibility. Circular knit technology has been used to create brassieres that accommodate a need for maximum stretchability and freedom of movement.
While brassieres of circular knit construction have become popular, they may not have provided for the maximum comfort and flexibility that are desired in an undergarment, as well as breast cup support. Therefore, a need still exists for a circular knit brassiere having maximum support and comfort in the breast cups, yet increased flexibility, support and comfort, as well as stability, throughout the remainder of the brassiere.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a seamless circular knit brassiere having different or varying degrees of stretchability in the body portion or portions of the brassiere, that is differing in degrees of stretchability about the waistline direction of the brassiere.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a seamless circular knit brassiere in which the different degrees of stretchability are three or more discrete areas in the brassiere along the body portion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a seamless circular knit brassiere in which the different degrees of stretchability is gradual throughout all or a substantially all of the body portion.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a seamless circular knit brassiere in which the different degrees of stretchability are achieved by differences in density and stitch construction.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a seamless circular knit brassiere that has progressive areas of differential stretchability from the breast cup to the back along the body portion of the brassiere.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seamless circular knit brassiere that has a tighter stitch in the breast cup and a less tighter stitch in the side and/or rear panel of the body portion.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method of making a seamless circular knit brassiere having integrally selected knitted areas with varying degrees of stretchability.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method of making such a seamless circular knit brassiere in which the different degrees of stretchability are achieved by different stitch tightness and density.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide such a method of making a seamless circular knit brassiere in which select yarn feed-in tensioning is used while either changing or still maintaining the same basic stitch construction configuration.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by a brassiere formed from a circular knit bra blank. The brassiere has a body portion with a pair of breast cups and side panels with each side panel connected to a different one of the pair of breast cups. The brassiere has different degrees of stretchability in each breast cup and side panel, as compared to the center or center region of the brassiere. Tighter stitches than in the center region are used in the breast cups, thereby providing support for the breasts. Looser stitches than in the center region are used in the side panels of the brassiere to provide improved flexibility and comfort to the wearer.
In a preferred embodiment, each side panel has at least two discrete areas or regions of different stretchability. The region of the side panel nearest to the breast cup has a lesser degree of stretchability than the region of the side panel farthest from the breast cup. In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the different degrees of stretchability in the side panels are gradual throughout each side panel.